The present invention relates to a novel culture collection instrument useful in medication, antiseptic and culture collection processes utilized in the animal husbandry industry. The present application is related to now pending U.S. Pat. No. 4,457,313, entitled SHIELD PROTECTOR FOR ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION AND CULTURE COLLECTION INSTRUMENTS, filed in the name of the present inventor on Apr. 23, 1982, and assigned to the assignee of the present invention.
During the insertion of a culture collection instrument into the cervix of an animal, the instrument must first pass through the vulva and/or cervical canal of the animal. Because the vulva and cervical canal are not sterile and, generally, contain bacteria or diseased germs, such as vaginal or uterine infections or microplasa, it is important to eliminate the transfer of these diseased germs or microplasa into the cervix. Additionally, because the insertion of the culture collection control instrument must pass through the cervical canal, often times the prior art devices have carried and transported the disease germs and contaminants from the cervical canal into the cervix during the cultural collection process. Also, such prior art devices do not provide means by which upon removal of the swab element of the cultural collection instrument from the cervix, the swab element may be isolated and sealed thereby preventing further contamination prior to testing and evaluation of the swab element.
Prior art attempts to eliminate the transferral of contaminants and disease from the vulva onto the cultural collection device and to eliminate contamination of the cultural collection instrument during the passage through and into the cervical canal are disclosed in Hoffman U.S. Pat. No. 3,050,060, Kalayjian U.S. Pat. No. 3,513,830 and International Publication No. WO80/01353. However, in each of these prior art devices, no structure is provided in the culture collection instrument for providing a protected and sanitary environment for the the swab portion or element of the culture collection instrument for subsequent analysis and/or tests of the swab element. Additionally, such instruments require manual handling of the swab portion of the culture collection device which can result in contamination of the same and effect the culture collection process of the instrument. Thus, such instruments have not solved the problem of handling the swab portion or element of the culture collection instrument upon removal of the same from the cervix or other interior of the animal and to maintain the swab portion thereof in an isolated and readily identifiable container for subsequent handling of the collected swab portion for transport to the analysis instrument while protecting the swab portion in a sanitary manner from contamination and other impurities.